Premedical students need clinical experience to get into medical school—after all, schools want applicants who have worked in a healthcare setting and have a clear understanding of the physician’s role. However, it can be confusing to navigate the types of clinical experiences available, especially beyond volunteering (which can vary in value) and shadowing (which is passive learning). Paid clinical jobs for premeds provide hands-on experience, meaningful patient interactions, and a closer look at patient care, all of which medical schools highly value. These roles also give students the opportunity to work alongside physicians, demonstrate their passion for medicine, and gain essential skills.
Below are the best entry-level clinical jobs for premed students. They all require a small range of training and have their own benefits and challenges. Although pay varies based on location and employer, wages are generally modest since these are often high-turnover roles for pre-health students. Some work with a school schedule, others are more full-time and suited to students seeking a gap year role. However, all provide insights into healthcare that you cannot obtain through volunteering or shadowing alone, and you’ll have great stories to share come med school application and interview season.
Working as a CNA is a great way to learn how to take care of patients. You work more alongside the nursing staff and learn how everyone on the team has a designated role to function properly. Many of your duties will be wholly taking care of patients, cleaning them, feeding them, monitoring their vitals, or being a one-to-one patient sitter. Your duties often depend on the hospital and unit where you work, as well as whether you work in a nursing home.
This job is more demanding than many of the other clinical jobs available to pre-medical students. The shifts are often long at 12 hours and the work is demanding and often involves taking care of unpleasant bodily fluids. However, it can also be incredibly rewarding, as you are taking care of patients going through the worst health experiences of their lives and you can make a tangible difference in caring for them.
The federal government requires a minimum 75 hours of training to become a CNA, but states can require more training. These programs can be offered by high schools, community colleges or by the hospital or nursing home you sign with. Training requires an in person clinical portion and you must pass a CNA state exam. In medical school, you will be much more comfortable connecting with patients, performing physical exams, and working synergistically with nurses from your experience as a CNA.
Working as an EMT is likely the most challenging job on this list to obtain and perform. It helps you develop quick decision-making, problem-solving, and hands-on skills that many of your peers in medical school may not yet have, such as starting IV lines, performing CPR, and managing airways, breathing, and circulation. At the point of care, you are the provider that makes the medical decision and writes the chart. Because of this immense responsibility, training is longer than other jobs on this list. It is usually a one semester or six month course that costs anywhere from $500-2000, with field training following. Some agencies will pay for your course, but it is often expected that you work in the role for one to two years after training, which often takes about one year to complete.
The shift work experience and patient population will depend highly on the area in which you work, such as a rural town with an older population versus a city. Regardless, you will also have lots of interactions with elderly patients, patients with substance use disorders, and the police. In this role, you can see anything, so if you have a weak stomach or may not be able to mentally handle traumatic situations, another option on this list may be better suited for you!
Paramedics are similar to EMTs, but undergo additional 1-2 years of training after gaining EMT licensure. They are able to perform more advanced life support functions than EMTs such as endotracheal intubation and intravenous access.
Being a medical scribe allows you to learn the basics of thinking like a doctor. You will work one on one with a specific physician, whether it is in the emergency department or in a specific practice, and get to know them, potentially leading to a future letter of recommendation. You’ll learn how to write notes and navigate medical software. This will become such a strength as you enter the clinical component of medical school. You will already know how to navigate EPIC and will know the medical terminology and organization of SOAP notes, which will make you more efficient when seeing patients and really allow you to focus on talking to your patients and medical decision-making.
Some hospitals and companies even offer remote options for scribing, so you may not even need to be physically present at the hospital or even in the same state as the physician you’re working with. Scribing is a great way to learn about patient care without having to do much physical labor.
Technicians are a catch all for a variety of clinical experiences. You will become an expert in your specific field, whether it is medical, pharmacy, phlebotomy, EKG, optometry, psych, EMT technicians, or a surgical assistant. The amount of patient interaction depends on which of these specific fields you choose to be a technician in.
You may be doing blood draws, taking x-rays or EKGs, giving shots, wound care, rooming patients and presenting them to physicians, and so much more. Many of these jobs may not even require certification and offer on the job training depending on the healthcare setting. You will often work with a specialty physician in these fields and get to know them—don’t be afraid to ask to observe opportunities that may be new to you to learn.
Written By: Aastha
Aastha is a medical student at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She took a gap year to scribe part-time in the emergency department and to explore life in her 20s—an experience she highly recommends. Aastha has advised college students on navigating unstated medical school application requirements and on crafting compelling personal narratives from their experiences. She joined Motivate MD as an editor and advisor to empower students in confidently highlighting their personalities and leveraging their strengths.
